The Wilmingtonian., 1887-11-19
CARE OF THE BRAIN.
Every Business Man Needs to Find
Amusement and Change.


There is curious disease of the nervous
system which is produced by continually
using the fingers in the same way and for
many hours at a time. 1t is called, accord
ing to the occupation of the sufferer,
"writers' cramp," "fddlers' cramp," fen
gravers' cramp," photographers cramp,"
Typewriter cramp," and no on. The most
remarkable feature about the disorder is,
that though the subject of 1t can not execute
the movements necessary to his profession,
and which occasion the affection, he can do
anything else with his fingers. Thus the
book keeper affected with writers cramp,"
though siezed with spasm of the fingers the
moment he begins to write and which pre-
vents the slightest movement Of bis pen to-
wards forming letter. can use the same fin
gers in playing the violin, setting type,
working telegraph key, or, in fact, in exc
cutting even the most complicated movement
without the slightest difficulty, provided of
course, that he possesses tho requisite tech
ucal skill. The nerves are simply exhausted
for the particular work which he has been
carrying on for years. They have got into
a rut, as it were, and can not get out till the
rest and change of occupation have permitted
them to accumulate the special kind of force
ueeded for writing.
What is true of nerves and muscles ia
equally true of that organ from which the
nerves aud muscles receive their force. Ex-
cessive use, especially within limited range,
,s certain to damage and sometimes to abso-
lutely destroy the parts of the brain which
have been unduly exercised.
THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH.
A man, for iustance, sp nds the greater
part of his life in the pursuit of wealth, TO"
lowing the particular course that he has
| marked ont for himself as rigidy as though
| it were bounded with walls of stonean iron.
| He leaves his office at evening, but takes his
business home with him, carries it to bed
with him, thinks of it till tired nature forces
sleep npon him and then it is even with him in
his dreams. Frequently, however, he does
not sleep, but lies awake hour alter hour re-
voving in his mind all the schemes of the
day before and devIsing new ones for the
morrow. In such case he is burning his
candle at both ends, and the day is not far
distant when he will have no candle to burn.
He goes to work in the morning i'll prepared
fof either pdysioal or mental exeftion, for
Sleep that period of life during which the
brain repairs the damage that it has received
during the y, has either not visited his
eyes at all or las come in fitful slumb bers that
have done him but little good. Is it mat
ter for astoni j. ment that after weeks, and
months, and ears of such life (for the
brain is strong, and will sometimes endure
this abuse for years) mental decay in some
form or other should make its appearance,
and that the victim should die outright, or
should pass the few remaining years of life
within the walls of lunatic asylum?
Undoubtedly the brain is strong, and is
capable of dong a great deal of work, and
even in many cases resists the bad treatment
: to which it is often subjected. It is not fire.
quently the case that the brain suffers from
good, honest intellectual work. 1t is the
undue exercise of the emotions that breaks
t 1t down, and unfortunately the work OF the
present day can scarcely be accomplished
5 without some one or more of the emotions
t being brought into inordinate action, and ac-
curding to my experience the emotion that
affects it most injuriously is anxiety.
CAST OFF BUSINESS CARES.
Those men suffer less in the brain and ner-
: vuus system who are able to cast aside all
: thoughts OF business the moment the time
for ceasing work has come. 1t is those carry
their business home with them, and who al
low it to fill their minds when they should
be seeking recreation. who suffer the most
1t is those who are able to cast off all bus
ness cares Wnen tnelt ullces are cloSeuJ ant
who spend their evenings in work of differ
ent character from that in which they hay'
L been engaged through the day, or better still
Q who pass several hours in rational anus
ments, who are most likely to escape head
aches, insomnia and insanity, and 70 die afte
long lie in full. possession Of their menta
" faculties.
20 Horseback riding, diving, gymnastic ez
cises are always Of great use, and We wou
q hear much less of softeping Of the brair
broken down nervous systems and insanit
lfthese organs were more frequently bruugh
'e into uss The brain worker who divides th
IN day into three portions, taking eight hour
to for sleep, eight hours for business and egf
n hours to eating his meals and re creatio., wi
be pretty certain to keep his mental facu
ties in full vigor till he has passed far beyon
~ the age of three score years and ten.
~ Pennsylvania Avenue.
= 1t appears that the Street Commissic
ne is condemned by some citizen or other